Packing gland



April 25%, R95@ J. c. WHLLEAMS 25%531? PACKING GLAND Filed April 27, 1946 Z72 V672 for Patented Apr. 25, 1950 ()FFICE 2,505,373 PACKING GLAND John 0. Williams, Oakland, Calif. Application April 27, 1946, Serial No. 665,567

g 2 Claims. (Cl. 286-33) This invention, a packing gland, is designed 1 principally for the stern bearings 01' deep-"draft vessels, though not being limited to this specific type of installation. This gland is specifically desirable for all shafts of relatively large diameter such as ships propeller shafts, and with bearings where replacement of a gland orzpacking would involve considerable effort for'time.

and particularly with pumps in which the shaft 7 is subjected to high internal water pressures, such as surge pumps which are subjected to continuous pressure whether operating or not.

The stern bearings of ships are subjected to heads of 30 feet or morein some cases, depending on the draft of the vessel, and this head is transmitted through the clearance about the propeller shaft. To retain this head, jpacking glands are provided along with suitable packing. The packing has a relatively short life in comparison to that of the shaft, bearing, gland and other parts, and must be relatively frequently [With my invention the packing is quite easily renewed with no or little flooding and with a minimum of time and effort, and the several layers of packing can be installed simultaneously'or sequentially. It can be used in connection with propeller shafts of any size including those having shafts twenty or more inchs indiameter, and for which this invention is particularly desirable, because the extreme sizes ofbearings are the ones which cause the most trouble and are most difficult to re-pack, andbecause in case a of wear or breakage of a gland, only a-small section may have to be replaced, and-the gland or I any part can always be replaced withbut disassembling any of the other associatedelements or devices.

The objects and advantages of the invention are as follows: I

First, to provide a packing gland forithe stern bearings of vessels which permits-re-packing of a bearin without undue flooding of the vessel.

Second, to provide a gland which, in the event of replacement of packing, will limit flooding to a relatively small percentage of that resulting with a conventional gland.

Third, to provide a gland which, in the event of replacement of packing, will, while limiting flooding to a relatively small percentage over conventional glands, simultaneously limit the required time and labor of replacement to approximately a similar degree.

Fourth, to provide a gland as outlined which is formed of a plurality of easily-replaceableand alignable sectors, any of which sectors can be removed and replaced at will without affecting the adjustment of the rest of the gland.

Fifth, to provide a gland as outlined which is formed of a plurality of easily-replaceable and alignable sectors so that packing can be inserted step by step while maintaining the adjustment of the major portion of the gland.

Sixth, to provide a packing gland consisting of a plurality of sectors mutually concentrically alignable and individually securable, adjustable, removable, and replaceable and having means for transversely aligning and securing the sectors together at will.

Seventh, to provide a packing gland consisting of a multiplicity of sectors mutually concentrically alignable and separately removable, replaceable and securable so that new packing can be installed by sequentially removing the sectors with no more than two sectors removed at any one time, so as to retain a seal against ingress of fluid about a shaft throughout the major portion of the circumference of the shaft and limit such ingress to the portion of th cir-' a modification of the transverse or facial aligni ing means and securing means.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary end view of a modification of the invention and showing a modification of the concentric'aligning means, and one of the securing means for the transverse aligning means illustrated in Fig. 3.

Although the gland is illustrated as formed in only eight sectors, this number may be in creased to any number which is best suited to of total volume during installation of the pack ing. The greater the number of divisions the less the leakage, though the number is restricted to circumferential lengths which will permit separately securing the sectors.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, each sector has suitable concentric aligning means, illustrated as consisting of a V-shaped key member ID formed in one dividing face and a V-shaped slot .l;l formed in the other face, so that the various sections can readily be slid or forced into place with the keys and slots maintaining perfect align-, ment of the inner periphery or bore 12 of the assembled sectors.

Each sector has its individual securing means and shown as consisting of three studs l3, l4 and [5 which are fixed in the bearing block or head It, with nuts I! providing for axial adjustment of the sector.

Suitable transverse or facial aligning means and securing means for securing the sectors together and bringing the faces iB'of the secters in alignment is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 as 0011-.

sisting of dowel-type bolts H! which, in the event of ample room for removal may be mounted in reamed holes (not shown) but preferably in accurately-machined slots 21] which permits alignment of the sectors before insertion of the dowels through registry of the edges 2.4 of the slots, thus facilitating insertion of the dcwels.

When the edges are aligned and a dowel inserted, the nut 22 is drawn up tight, assuring accurate alignment and positive securing of .the sectors; the inner periphery or bore is concentrically aligned by the key II] in cooperation with the slot II, and the face I8 is aligned by the accurately fitting dowel [9.

Preliminary alignment of the face is initially effected through adjustment of the nuts I] ,on the studs [3, l4, [5, with the studs simultaneously functioning as locating means.

The modification shown in Fig 3 provides a very desirable type of facial aligning means, since alignment is readily observable and detectable, but having a slight disadvantage over the system previously described in that when re: leased, all sectors are freed for facial misalignment, and for spreading, which may make re.- moval and replacement of sectors a little more difficult, though having other advantages off setting any slight disadvantages of the type just mentioned.

s m difi a i n c n i in form n an a nular keyway 23 around the clamp collar when all Sectors are rate assem led and wet ab y orm the k a h o twa d d verging faces 24 a d 2 and ro id n a lamp collar '26 with a key 21 formed internally to fit the keyway, and splitting the clamp collar at one or more points as indicated at 28 and providing clamping means such as a stud 29 and nut he e h e r t or .LnQr sect ns o e clam a b t r can screw b ing necessary 4 if the ring is split at only one point. Suitable locating means to assure keying of all joints is indicated as consisting of a pin 3i fixed in one of the sectors and fitting in a recess 32 formed at one joint of the clamp so that the joint 28 cannot coincide with a joint 33 between the sectors.

To replace packing or insert additional packing, with the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the bolts I9 are removed from three joints, such as at 34, 35 and 36 and the two intervening sectors are drawn out of their sockets. One terininal end of the packing is bent down in the socket with the remainder projecting as indicatedat'3l. .The first sector 38 is then slid back intc place, the nuts I'l applied and tightened just enough to secure and slightly compress the end of the packing.

The bolt 39 and nuts 40 are then removed, and the sector M is then drawn out of its socket and the sector for the space 42 is then replaced, and the ut d w d n u i t ed s 2! at the joint are in alignment. The bolt 19 is then inserted and tightened, (if no more layers of packing are to be inserted), aligning the fa es of the two sectors and clamping them together.

This is followed by removal of the next sector 43 and replacement of sector 41, continuing around until all sectors have been removed, the packing laidand the last sector replaced and facially aligned, after which the entire unit is adjusted by means of the nuts I! to produce the proper compression of the packing.

If several layers ofpacking are to be installed, the first layer is started under one sector, the second under a second or third, and so on, omitting replacement of the aligning members l9 until two adjacent sectors are working on the same number of plies of packing. This involves part of a second circuit, a distance equal to the number of sectors between the joints of the first and last layers of packing, for completing the pack- With the aligning and clamping means illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, the clamp 26 is removed, after which the sectors are removed and replaced as the packing is introduced in the same wa as that described for Figs. 1 and 2. except that there are no aligning and clamping bolts to remove and replace.

Instead, after the packing is all inplace and the sectors have all been replaced and the nuts I] screwed part way, the sectors are adjusted sequence by means of the nuts IT to align the key.-. way 23 at the joints, after which the clamp 26 is placed in position and drawn up by means of the nut 30. If there is any misalignment, the key 2] will tend to align the sectors and will immediately indicate any misalignment through lack of con.- tact between the inside face 45 of the ring and the outside face 45 of the gland collar. When misalignment is indicated, it is merely necessary to slightly adjust one or the other of the nuts I! adjacent to the joint where the misalignment exists. When alignment is completed, the nut 39 is drawn tight, clamping the sectors into a i nit, after which axial adjustment cf the unit can be carried out to produce the proper compression on thepacking to make the bearing leak-proqf.

:I claim:

1. A packing gland for the propeller shaft of a deep-draft ip of the like comprising a series of not less than four sectors to form when asseml a o l c in a d exteriprly cy indried to sli ab lit in an axia bore, land teriorly cylindrical to rotatably receive the shaft,

with the contact faces of the sectors keyed for relative axial movement and against relative radial movement for cylindrical alignment of the exterior and interior of the packing gland; each of said sectors having an outwardly projectin flange provided with a plurality of stud passages and studs therefor for individual axial alignment; and combined aligning, keying, and securing means cooperative between the flanges for aligning the faces of the sectors and securing the sectors into a complete gland, whereby continuous packing is replaceable at will through removal of not more than two sectors at any one time to reduce inrush of water of submergence by not less than 50% as related to two-sector glands, in

which said flanges upon assembly of said sectors form a continuous cylindrical flange; said combined aligning, keying and securing means comprising an annular groove having divergent walls and formed in the peripheral surface of said continuous cylindrical flange, and a pair of halfrings having inwardly convergent sides to fit in said groove, and means for securing the ends of REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 805,308 Malo et al Nov. 21, 1905 1,181,535 Moyle May 2, 1916 1,605,809 Cole Nov. 2, 1926 1,913,030 Hux June 6, 1933 2,130,741 McClain ept. 20, 1938 

